You need an X-ray because many dental problems sit where nobody can see: decay between teeth or under old fillings, infection at the root tip, bone loss from gum disease, and teeth trapped in the jaw. Without it, a dentist is guessing about the parts of the tooth that usually decide the treatment. A single small digital X-ray uses a very low dose.
Patients sometimes feel an X-ray is a way to add to the bill. It is a fair question, so here is the honest answer: for a large share of dental problems, an examination without an X-ray only shows about half of the tooth, and usually not the half that decides the treatment.
Roughly two-thirds of every tooth is root, sitting inside bone under the gum. Even the visible crown has surfaces that touch the next tooth, where your dentist's mirror cannot reach. Decay loves those contact points. By the time a cavity between two teeth is visible from outside, it is often already deep.
Without an X-ray, a dentist must choose between two bad options: under-treat and risk the problem growing, or over-treat to be safe. A root canal done without a pre-operative X-ray is a procedure carried out blind. A good X-ray often saves you money by showing that a cheaper option is fine, or that a tooth which looks terrible is actually sound below the surface.
For a single tooth or small area, the usual choice is an intra-oral periapical X-ray (IOPA), taken with a small sensor held in your mouth. Modern digital sensors need a very low dose, comparable to the natural background radiation you receive from the environment over a day or so. Wider views such as an OPG, or 3D CBCT scans, are advised only when the question needs them. If you are pregnant or might be, tell your dentist before any X-ray; non-urgent images are usually postponed, and urgent ones are taken with a lead apron and thyroid collar.
Not every visit needs imaging. A small, clearly visible cavity on a front tooth, a mouth ulcer, or a routine check with recent X-rays already in your file may need none. If you have X-rays from another clinic taken in the last few months, bring them; we may be able to use them.
We take digital RVG X-rays in the chair, and your dentist goes through the image with you. Our current published fee is ₹500 per X-ray (see our online store); the final cost is confirmed after examination. If an OPG or CBCT is advised, we will tell you where it is done and what it costs, and complex scans can be read with our oral radiology department. Your images are stored in your file in the patient portal.
Kharadi runs late. Reception will tell you honestly whether you need an appointment yet.
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